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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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NTSB Report

August 7, 1985 · Bell 47G-5 · N1476W

Pickett, WI

Overview

Report Status
Preliminary report
Event Type
Accident
Date
August 7, 1985
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Pickett, WI
Aircraft
Bell 47G-5
Tail Number
N1476W
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CHI85LA338

The field where this accident occurred had been sprayed one week prior to the accident by a fixed-wing aircraft at an altitude of 20 feet. No wires were noted to be a hazard at that time. On the day of the accident, the pilot of the helicopter was talking to a spotter on the ground via radio. Neither person noticed the power lines crossing one end of a small section of the corn field. The helicopter struck the wires on his first pass. They became entangled in his rotor control rods and the machine settled to the ground. The pilot stated that the reason neither he nor his spotter saw the wires was because they were strung in a non-standard manner in that the non-supported span of wire was excessive. The wires drooped to 7 feet above the corn. Also, there were no guy wires or transformers on the poles to indicate a power line array. This pilot has over 5,600 hours of aerial application flying time in his logbook.

Full Narrative

THE FLD WHERE THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED HAD BEEN SPRAYED ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT BY A FIXED-WING ACFT AT AN ALT OF 20 FT. NO WIRES WERE NOTED TO BE A HAZARD AT THAT TIME. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT THE PLT OF THE HELICOPTER WAS TALKING TO A SPOTTER ON THE GROUND VIA RADIO. NEITHER PERSON NOTICED THE POWER LINES CROSSING ONE END OF A SMALL SECTION OF THE CORN FLD. THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE WIRES ON HIS FIRST PASS. THEY BECAME ENTANGLED IN HIS ROTOR CONTROL RODS AND THE MACHINE SETTLED TO THE GROUND. THE PLT STATED THAT THE REASON NEITHER HE NOR HIS SPOTTER SAW THE WIRES WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE STRUNG IN A NON-STANDARD MANNER IN THAT THE NON-SUPPORTED SPAN OF WIRE WAS EXCESSIVE. THE WIRES DROOPED TO 7 FT ABOVE THE CORN. ALSO THERE WERE NO GUY WIRES OR TRANSFORMERS ON THE POLES TO INDICATE A POWER LINE ARRAY. THIS PLT HAS OVER 5600 HOURS OF AERIAL APPLICATION FLYING TIME IN HIS LOGBOOK.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time09:15 CDT
Nearest Airport0nm N
Runway0
Runway Length0
Runway Width0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftBell 47G-5
Tail NumberN1476W
Aircraft CategoryHeli
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 137
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · VO-435-B1A · Reciprocating · 260
Seats3

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 39 · Second Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind320° @ 4 kt
Visibility20 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point0 C
Altimeter29.00 inHg
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data